Miter-box.



J. A. LELAND.

MITER BOX.

APPLICATION FILED MN. 9. 1915.

Patented Nov. 9, 1915.

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A TTUR/VE KS I. AfLELAND.

MITER BOX.

APPLICATION FILED IAN.9. 1915.

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J. A. LELAND.

MITER BOX.

APPLICATION HLED 1AN.9. 1915.

Ll 59,39. Patented Nov. 9, 1915.

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JOHN A. iLELA'ND, OF MONTAGUE, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR T0 MILLER/S FALLSCOMPANY, OF MLLERS FALLS, MASSAC SETTS.

MUSETTS, A CORPORATION F MASSACHU- MITER-BOX.

Application led January 9, 1915.

To all @07mm t may Gomera.'

lie it known that I, JOHN A. LELAND, a citizen of the United States, andresident of Montague, in the county of Franklin and IState ofMassachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inMiter- Boxes, of which the following is a. specification.

This invention relates to a miter box provided w'th a horizontal bedinterrupted by an angular opening and a swinging bar pivoted at the apexof said opening and having saw guiding posts at its opposite endportions, the bar being adjustable to guide a saw at various anglesrelatively to the bed.

The invention has for its object to provide certain improvementsrelating to the means for confining the swinging bar in variouspositions, to the construction of the bar whereby its length may bevaried and maintained without liability of accidental change in length,to the construction of the sawguiding posts on the swinging bar, and tothe construction of the frame.

The invention consists in the improvements which I will new proceed todescribe and claim.

0f the accompanying drawings forming a. part of this specification:Figure 1 represents a front elevation of a miter box embodying myinvention; Fig. 2 represents a top plan view of the same; Fig. 3represents a section on line 3-3 of Fig. 2; Fig. 3a represents a viewsimilar to a portion of Fig. 3, showing a different position of thedetent lever; Fig. 4 represents a section on line 4 4 of Fig. 1; Fig. 5represents a section on line 5 5 of Fig` 1, and a bottom plan view ofparts above said line, other parts being omitted; Fig. 6 represents afragmentary perspective view showing parts of the swinging bar, thedetent lever hereinafter referred to, and other parts of the box; Fig. 7represents in perspective certain parts hereinafter referred to; Fig. 8represents a perspective view of the telescopic swinging bar in itscontracted adjust-` ment; Fig. 9 represents a view similar to a portionof Fig. 8, showing the swinging bar elongated; Fig. 10 represents asection on line 10--10 of Fig. 8; Fig. 11 represents a section on line`11-11 of Fig. 2; Fig. 12 represents a view similar to a portion ofSpecification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 9, 19t-'5.

Serin No. 1,336.

Fig. 11, showing the sliding post member supported in a raised position;Fig. 13 represents in separate views the tube from which the slidingpost member' is made, said tube being shown in perspective, and a sideelevation of the tube after it has been slot-- ted as hereinafterdescribed; Fig. 14 represents in separate viewsthe upper end portion ofthe sliding tube member before and after the upper ends of its slotshave been closed by the plug hereinafter referred to; Fig. 15 representsa section on line 15-15 of Fig. 1.

The same reference characters indicate the same or similar' parts in allthe views.

The frame of my improved miter box in cludes two supporting end members,each formed as a single casting, preferably of malleable iron, and eachcomposed of a vertical web 12 and flange 13 formed thereon, as indicatedby Figs. 4 and 5, each member including a pair of legs having feet 14adapted to bear on a bench. rThe frame also includes two horizontal bedmembers 16, each having a downwardly projecting marginal flange 17, saidflanges being connected by rivets 1S with the flanges 13 of the endmembers. Fach bed member and its flange is made of a single piece ofrelatively thick pressed sheet metal, preferably steel, the inner end 19of each bed member being oblique and said oblique ends forming the edgesof an angular opening between the bed members, as shown by Fig. 2. Theframe also includes a central member of skeleton form, preferably formedas a sin gie casting and including flanges 20 and 21 (F 5) secured byrivets 22 to the flanges 17 of the bed members. The central frame memberincludes a socket 23 which, in this embodiment of the invention, isinternally threaded toy engage the thread portion of a pivot stud 24,which pivotally connects the swinging radius bar 25, hereinafter described, with the frame. On the socket 23 is formed an arcuate frame orinner beain ing member 26, and said socket is connected by radial arms27 with an intermediate arcuate bearing member 9.8 and an outer bearingmember 29. The functions of the bearing members 26, 28 and 29 will bepresently described, it being sutlicient for the present to say thatsaid members, the

cally b v the horizontal bed members and is held against two verticalback rests 28, which are pieces of pressed sheet steel attached byscrews 29 to the rear edge of the frame and separated from each other bya narrow space 30 (Fig. 2) through which the saw passes.

The back rests 28 are embossed to form Y upward displacement ofalternating inclined recesses 28"L and projections 28b (Figs. 1 and 2),the rests 28 therefore being corrugated and their corrugations beinginclined. The inclination of the corrugations of one rest is oppositethat of the corrugations of the other rest, as shown by Fig. 1. I findthat corrugations thus arranged tend to hold the work against upwarddisplacement from the bed members, the in clinedv edges of theprojections 28b resisting work bearing against the back rests.

The radius bar 25 is pivoted to swing on the fixed stud 24, and isprovided at its opposite end portions with inner and outer saw-guidingposts, each of telescopic construction and including a verticallyimmovable tubular member 31 secured to the bar, and a vertically movablemember 32, the latter embodying an improved construction hereinafterdescribed. The bar is also of telescopic construction, and its body ormain portion 25, which I call the inner' section, is longitudinallyimmovable and has only a swinging movement on the stud 24. Said innersection is supplemented by a slidable outer section carrying the outersaw-guiding post. The said outer section is composed of a block 25 towhich are attached by rivets 33 (Fig. 15) two elongated spaced-apart lclamping slides 34. The inner section 25 has grooves in the oppositeedges of its outer end portion forming elongated guides 35 for theslides 34 and frictional clamping faces 36 between said guides. 37represents a bar having offset ends, one of which is attached at 38(Figs. 10 and 15) to one of the slides 34. The other offset end overlapsthe other slide 34 and has a strut 39 bearing on the last mentionedslide and having a beveled outer end 392L (Fig. 15).

40 represents a spindle which is rotatable and movable endwise in aguiding stud 41 attached to the block 25, and is provided with a knurledhead 42. One end portion of said spindle is threaded and engaged with atapped orifice in the bar 37, the spindle having a conical tip 40abearing on the beveled end 39n of the strut. Rotation of the spindle 40in a direction to advance it into the bar 37 forces the strut V39inwardly and presses the clamping slides 34 firmly against the faces 36,thus confining the outer section of the swinging bar at any positiontowhich it may be adjusted. A rotationV of the spindle in the oppositedirection releases the said outer section, which is then free to moveendwise. Provision is therefore made for securely maintaining the outerpost at any desired distance from the inner post.

The elongated guides 35 on the opposite edge portionsV of the innersection 25, and the to tip or spring laterally. The slides 34 and theblock 25n collectively constitute a rigid sliding bar section adapted toresist torsional strain tending to tip or incline the outer saw guide.The engagement of the slides V34 with two opposite edge portions of theinner section 25 enables the bar as a whole to have an oblonghorizontally elongated cross section, as indicated by Figs. 6, 8, 9 and10, the material being so distributed that the thickness of the bar orthe distance between its top and bottom surfaces is reduced .to theminimum. In other words, the bar is made relatively thin, so that thevertical space required for it and the height of the supporting frameare correspondingly reduced. The thinness of the bar is compensated forby its width, which is much greater than its thickness and is sufficientto enable the Various orifices shown by Fig. 3 to be formed in the innersection without unduly weakening said section.

I have providedV means, including the inner arcuate member 26 and theintermediate arcuate member 28, for frictionally securing the swingingbar 25 in any angular position that may be desired, said arcuate membersforming fixed elements of said means, the other elements hereinafterdescribed being carried by the swinging bar.

The fixed arcuate members 26 and 28 have upwardly facing bearingsurfaces which, as shown by Fig. 3, are in frictional contact with amovable pressure block 42 carried by the swinging bar 25. One endportion of the pressure block has a downwardly projecting stud 43passing loosely through the bar 25 and havinga head 44 bearingon the onthe longer arm of a pressure transmitting lever 4:7, the ulcrum of whichis formed by the head 01" a stud a8 screwed into the bar 25, the lever47 having a slot a9 (Fig. 7) in one end receiving a rod 63, and a slot50 in the other end receiving the stud 48. A stud 5l attached to thepressure block 42 projects through the slot 50 and has a shoulder 52which is preferably an adjustable nut bearing on the under side oftheshorter arm ot the lever 47, the stud 5l being screwthreaded to engagesaid nut.

53 represents a detent lever which is pivoted at its inner end at -it toan ear on the radius bar 25 and is pressed upwardly by a spring againstthe outer arcuate member 29, said lever being located above the radiusbar and its tree end being over the outer portion of said bar. Saidarcuate member has a series of notches 57 in its lower edge and flatfaces between said notches. The upper edge of the detent lever is formedto enter notch 57. as shown by Figs. 3 and 6, and thus positively lockthe bar 25 against swinging movement. Said upper edge is also adapted tobear `against either of the fiat faces 56, as shown by Fig.

.3a. The expansion spring l5 acts through.

the pressure transmitting lever 41:7 on the nut 52, and through thelatter and the stud 5l to cause a strong downward pressure of thepressure 4block 42 on the arcuate members 26 and 28. rilhe frictiondeveloped bv this pressure contines the bar 25 with sulilcient firmnessto preventit from swinging unless relatively7 heavy force is exertedagainst it, the trictional coninement being sutlmicient to preventaccidental movement of the bar under ordinary usage.

- To reduce or interrupt the frictional barconning pressure and permitthe bar to swing easilv, l provide a pressure-reducing lever 60, whichis fulcrumed on the head 6l of a stud attached to the bar 25, one arm ofsaid lever beine` much longer than the other, as shown by Fig. 3. Thelever 60 is located below the radius bar, and its `free end is below theouter portion of said bar and in close proximity to the tree end of thedetent lever, so that said levers are manually movable simultaneously inopposite directions by one hand of the operator. The shorter arm of thelever 60 has a slot 62a (Fig. 7), which receives the stud 62, and thelower end ot a rod 63. SaidY rod passes through the spring Ll5 and thelonger arm of the pressure transmitting lever 47., and has a pin 611- atits lower end bearing on the lever 60, and a pin at its ripper endbearing on the lever 47. Upward pressure on the longer arm of thepressure-reducing lever 60 depresses the rod 63, compresses the springa5, and renders the latter inoperative, and at the same time depressesthe longer arm of the lever 4.7, so that the pressure block 42 is freeto slide on the fixed members 26 and 28, and the bar 25 is adapted toswing without material frictional resistance.

rlhe detendlever extends outwardly across the under side of the notchedmember 29, and projects from the front of the miter box, so that itsouter endis exposed and is manually movable to withdraw the lever from anotch 57. The outer end or' the detent lever provided with an upwardlyfacing thumb rest 67. rlhe outer arm ot the pressure-reducing lever 60extends outwardly to a point under and in relatively close proximity tothe outer end o1l the detent lever, and is adapted to be manually raisedto depress the inner arm and render the spring l5 inoperative. Saidlonger arm is provided with a downwardly facing finger rest 66. Saidrests are in convenient proximity to each other, as shown by Fig. 3, sothat the operator may apply a thumb to one rest and a linger to theother and exert pressure on both rests bv the same hand tosimultaneously move the levers in opposite directions and :tree theradius bar from all resistance to its swinging movements, each restbeing preferably formed in duplicate, as shown by Figs. 2 and 6, so thatthe operator may selectively apply the described pressure.

The vertically movable member o each smv-guiding post is made from aseamless metal tube 32a (Fig. 13), in opposite sides of which are formedlongitudinal slots extending from one end partly to the opposite end otthe tube, one end portion being continuous. The upper ends of the slots70 have enlargements 70a forming two sides and the lower end of asawback guide. A plug 7l inserted in the upper end ot the tube andsecured by a rivet 72 closes the upper end of the tube and forms theupper end of the saw back guide. The movable post member thusconstructed is at once light, strong and durable, and is adapted toslide freely in Vthe vertically immovable member 3l. l

T he member 32 has the usual stop member 73 which limits its downwardmovement, as shown b v Fig. ll, and the member 31 has the usualspring-pressed latch bolt 74: adapted to enter a notch 75 in the member32, and limit the upward movement of the latter, as shown by Fig. 12.

its implied in the foregoing description and in the following claims, lam not limited to the specilic mechanism 01"' the preferred embodimentof my improvements shown by the drawings except as otherwise requiredVin certain oi the more limited claims.

Having described my invention, I claim:

l. ln a miter box, the combination of a worlrsupporting frame having axed arcuate notched member, a radius bar provided with saw guides andpivoted to the frame, a notch-engaging detent lever fulcrumed at itsinner end on said bar and extending outwardly across the under side ofthe notched member, the outer end of said lever being exposed andadapted to be manually depressed to disengage the, lever from thenotched member, a spring carried by the bar, means coperating with saidspring to confine the bar in various positions by friction, and apressure-reducinglever located below and fulcrumed on the bar and havinga shorter inner arm connected with said spring and an outwardlyextending longer arm, the outer end of which is exposed below the outerend of the detent lever and adapt* ed to be manually raised to rendersaid spring inoperative.

2. In a miter box, the combination ofa \vork-supporti1ig frame having afixed arcuate notched member, a radius bar pro-` vided with saw guidesand pivoted to the frame, a notch-engaging detent lever fulcrumed at itsinner end on said bar and extending outwardly across theunder side ofthe notched member, the outer end of said lever being exposed andprovided with an upwardly facing rest whereby it may be manuallydepressed to disengage the lever from the notched member, a springcarried by the bar, means cooperating with said spring to confine thebar in various positions by friction, and a pressurei'educing leverlocated below and fulcrumed on the bar and having a shorter inner armconnected with said spring and an outwardly extending longer arm, theouter end of which is exposed below the outer end of the detent leverand provided with a downwardly facing rest whereby it may be manus allyraised to render said spring inoperative.

3. In a miter box, the combination of a work-supporting frame having anangular opening, fixed inner, outer and intermediate arcuate membersextending across said opening, the said inner and intermediate membershaving continuous upwardly facing bearing surfaces, while the outermember is notched, a radius bar pivoted to swing on a vertical axisconcentric with said bearing surfaces, and provided with saw guides, anotch-engaging detent lever fulcrumed at its inner end on said bar andextending outwardly across the under side of the notched member, theouter end of said lever being exposed at the front of the box andadapted to be manually depressed to disengage the lever' from thenotched member, a spring carried by the bar, an elongated movablepressure block adapted to bear on said inner and intermediate members, apressuretransmitting lever fulcrumed on the bar and having a longer anda shorter arm, said longer arm forming an abutment for said spring, aconnection between the shorter arm of said transmitting lever and thepressure block, through which the pressure of the spring is exerted onthe block to Vfrictionally confine the bar, and a pressure-reducinglever located below and fulcrumed on the bar, and having a shorter innerarm connected with said spring, and an outwardly projecting longer arm,the outer end of which is exposed at the front of the box and is adaptedto be manually raised to render said spring inoperative.

4. A miter box,comprising a work-supporting frame, a telescopic radiusbar composed of a relatively thin and wide inner section pivoted to theframe, and provided with an inner saw guide at its inner end portion,external edge guides at opposite edges of its outer end portion, andVexternal frictional clamping faces between said guides, and an outersection composed of a block provided with an outer saw guide, and withelongated clamping slides attached to its opposite edges and bearing onthe edge guides and frictional faces of the inner section, and manuallyoperable means carried by said outer section and slides for clampingsaid slides against the friction faces of the inner section.

5. -A miter box, comprising a work-sup-- porting frame, a telescopicradius ,bar composed of a relatively -thin and wide inner sectionpivoted to the frame, and provided with an inner saw guide at'its innerend portion, external edge guides at opposite edges of its outer endportion, and external frictional clamping faces between said guides, andan outer section composed of a block provided with an outersaw guide,and with elongated clamping slides attached to its opposite edges andbearing on the edge guides and frictional faces of the inner section, atransverse bar having offset ends, one of which is attached to one ofthe slides, said bar bridging the space between the slides so that itsother offset end overlaps the other slide, a guiding stud attached tothe outer section, a spindle rotatable in said stud and having athreaded portion engaged with a tapped orifice in the overlapping offsetend of said bar to cause endwise movement of the spindle when the latteris rotated', said spindle having a conicalinner end and an exposed knobor handle at its outer end, whereby the spindle may be rotated, and astrut movable in said overlapping end and bearing on the adjacent slideto Africtionally engage the slides with the inner section.

6. In a miter box, a saw guiding and supporting post member composed ofa seamless metal tube having longitudinal slots formed in opposite sidesand extending from one end partly to the oppositev end, the latter beingcontinuous, the slots being enlarged at one end of the tube to form thesides and inner end of a saw back guide, and a plug inserted in theenlarged ends of the slots and secured to the tube to form the outer endof the back guide, said member being vertically movable in a verticallyimmov a able post member.

7. A miter boX frame, comprising two supporting end members having legs,and each formed as a single casting including a body web and a flange,two 'bed members of pressed sheet metal, each including a hori- Zontalbody portion and a downwardly projecting flange, the flanges of the bedmembers being riveted to the flanges orn the sup` porting end members,and the body portions of the bed members having oblique inner endsforming the edges of an angular opening in the frame, and a centralframe member of skeleton form riveted to the flanges of the bed membersand forming a rigid connection between the latter, said central memberhaving means for pivotally supporting a saw-carrying bar.

8. A miter box frame, comprising two supporting end members having legs,and each formed as a single casting including a body web and a flange,two bed members of pressed sheet metal, each including a hori- Zontalbody portion and a downwardly projecting flange, the flanges of the bedmembers `being riveted to the flanges of the supf porting end members,and the body portions of the bed members having oblique inner endsforming the edges of an angular opening in the frame, a central framemember of skeleton form riveted to the flanges of the bed members andforming a. rigid connection between the latter, said central memberhaving means for pivotally supporting a saw-carrying bar, and sheetmetal back rests attached to the said frame members.

9. A miter box frame, comprising a horizontal work-supporting bed havingan angular opening, and vertical back rests at the inner edge of the bedand separated from each other at the apex of said opening, said backrests being composed of pressed sheet 'metal plates having inclinedcorrugations.

In testimony whereof l have affixed my signature, 1n presence of twowitnesses.

JOHN A. LELAND.

lVitnesses:

Lizzie B. STRACHAN, LENA O. PERKINS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, Dy addressingthe "Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

